Onion-set topper and cleaner.



G. C. CURTIS.

ONION SET TOPPER AND CLEANER.

APPLICATION flLED JAN. 18, 1.9!6-

1,223,941 Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F 2 21 22 7 a 3mm WWW/s06 G. C. CURTIS.

ONION SET TOPPER AND CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, I916- Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 iii GEORGE C. CURTIS, OF HUTCHINSON, KANSAS.

ONION-SET TOPPER AND CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Zatent.

Patented Apr. 24:, i912.

Application filed January 18, 1916. Serial No. 72,739.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonsn C. Gimme, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Onion-Set Toppers and Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an apparatus for topping and cleaning onion sets, namely, seed onions, and its primary object is to provide a simple, reliable and efficient con struction of apparatus including an inclined rotary topping 'and screening cylinder having a novel construction and arrangement of diametrically-extending cutting and scraping tines or wire bars for separating the tops and other particles from the surface of the onions, whereby the onions may be delivered to a suitable machine for final grading and separating action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary topping and screening cylinder of the character described which is supported or slung from an overhead driw ing shaft by means of chains or cables whereby rotary motion is imparted to the cylinder, thus enabling an efficient supporting and driving action to be obtained without the use of cumbersome parts liable to cause friction or serve as obstructions.

'Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the cylinder or drum arranged in position for use in connection with a fanning mill;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the cylinder or drum on an enlarged scale;

Fig. i is a vertical transverse section through the same; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the apparatus taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a rotary topping and screening cylinder or drum, having an inlet end 2 and an outlet or discharge end 3, with which inlet end 2 communicates a receiving pan 4 supported from a conducting trough or chute 5, through which the onions to be treated are supplied from a suitable source, the pan at being supported in any suitable manner from an adjacent portion of a framework 6 against rota tion while the drum or cylinder revolves.

As shown, the drum or cylinder inclines at a downward and forward angle between its inlet and discharge ends, for the feed by gravity of the onion sets which are under treatment, and the discharge end 3 of said drum or cylinder is arranged above the receiving hopper 7 of any suitable separating and grading machine, such as a fanning mill 8, which may be of any ordinary or approved construction. In practice, a fanning mill is employed which will separate the onion sets into two lots or sizes which are, respectively, discharged through outlets 9 and 10, the refuse matter being discharged through another outlet, (not shown).

The body portion 11 of the drum or cylinder is imperforate, except as hereinafter stated, but said cylinder is preferably provided at its forward end with a reticulated or other screen section 12, preferably in the form of a wire tube of proper mesh, through which all dirt and other loose particles adhering to the onions are preliminarily dis charged, the wire surfaces of the screen also acting as brushing or separating agents. The onions entering the screen section 12, after being relieved of any loose dirt and refuse particles, pass by gravity and under the agitating motion of the drum, into the imperforate portion of the drum, namely, at the rate of about sixty revolutions per minute, and upon being relieved of their tops and surface particles are discharged through the end 3 into the hopper 7 of the fanning mill. On their passage through the imperforate portion 11 of the drum, the onions are caused to pass in contact with transverselyor diametrically-extending very thin wire cutting and scraping rods, tines or filaments 13,

which are arranged one after the other in regular order or series, so that as the onion sets are tumbled or revolved around and fed longitudinally through the drum they will be caused to pass over the surface of the thin wire tines or filaments, whereby they will be agitated and subjected to a scraping action. Through this scraping action the tops of the onion sets will be removed, as will also any leaves, trash or other foreign matter that may be adhering to the surfaces of the onions, the mass of onions, together with the refuse, passing itno the fanning mill, where the onions and refuse are separated and the onions graded as previously described.

It will be observed that the separating tines or filaments are formed by a continuous wire threaded back and forth and across the drum through series of openings ll formed in the sides thereof, the arrangement thus being such as to provide a continuous series of parallel tines or filaments which are spaced a suflicient distance apart to permit the onion sets to have free movement while at the same time insuring a proper cleaning action, the described arrangement of the tines furthermore permitting the onions to feed longitudinally with freedom and without resistance such as would be caused by the use of radial tines, so that choking of the drum will be avoided and a free and easy working motion obtained.

The drum is provided at spaced intervals with a pair of grooved pulleys 15 around which pass looped suspending and driving chains, cables or belts 16 which also pass around supporting pulleys or shafts 1'? on an overhead driving shaft 18, which is arranged to drive the fanning mill through the medium of a belt 19 and to be driven itself by a belt or similar driving connection 20 from a suitable motor, (not shown). It will thus be seen that the drum or cylinder is supported freely from the driving chains which both sustain and transmit motion thereto, and hence that use of a shaft and bearings or other direct supports for the drum are avoided, together with all other parts or encumbrances which add to the weight or complexity of the device or set up friction or offer obstructions to the feed of the material for free and easy rotation of the drum. For the purpose of suspending the drum so as to hold it against endwise movement, while in an inclined position, the

pulleys 15 which are of the groovedtype, have their forward flanges 21 widened and the faces of the pulleys between the grooves and outer edges of said flanges are provided with inclined or sloping surfaces 22 which ride in contact with the chains, and by means of which any tendency of the pulleys to move out of engagement with the chains, and any tendency of the separating drum to shift longitudinally by gravity, will be prevented in a simple and effective manner.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the construc tion and mode of operation of the device will be readily understood, without a further and extended description, and it will be seen that a device of the character described is provided for simple and inexpensive construction, and it thoroughly and reliably tops and cleans onions of the character set forth.

I claim as my invention:

In an apparatus of the character described, a rotary topping and cleaning cylinder having a longitudinally extending series of openings in diametrically opposite sides thereof and in the same plane, the openings in the series bein substantially oppo site each other, and a continuous series of diametrically disposed scraping and cleaning tines, said tines being formed by a continuous strand of wire extending back and forth along the length of the cylinder and passing through said openings to divide the cylinder transversely into compartments of equal area.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE C. CURTIS. l/Vitnesses:

F. P. HETTINGER, INA DENBO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

